1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image printing method, an image printing apparatus and an image printing system, which are capable of printing a plurality of copies of a desired print image, as well as a label producing method and a label producing system, which are capable of producing labels having the print image printed thereon.
2. Prior Art
When N copies of a print image (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2) are printed, generally, the print image is printed based on print image data representing the print image, and the same printing operation is repeatedly carried out N times. Alternatively, unless the capacity of memory is strictly limited, after integrated print image data having N copies of the print image data arranged side by side is prepared, the N copies of the desired print image can be printed at a time based on the integrated print image data.
Now, there is a case in which print image data representing a desired print image is formed by an image forming apparatus, such as a personal computer or a work station, which excellent in capability of processing and editing print images, such as contour lines, and then the formed print image data is sent to a high-speed, high-(print) quality image printing apparatus to print the desired print image based on the received print image data (see FIG. 1). In the case of such an image printing system, convenience in forming print image data is ensured by the image forming apparatus, such as a personal computer, while high-speed and high-quality printing is ensured by the image printing apparatus.
However, in the conventional image printing apparatus for use with the image printing system of the above-mentioned kind, it is impossible to print a plurality of copies of a print image until print image data representing the print image is received. Hence, even if the image forming apparatus and the image printing apparatus are high in performance, if print image data is transferred (communicated) at a low speed from the image forming apparatus to the image printing apparatus, the limited communication speed makes it difficult to attain high-speed printing. For instance, when N copies of a print image, where N is an integer equal to or larger than 2, each formed by J dots by K dots, where J is an integer equal to or larger than 2 and K is an integer equal to or larger than 2, are printed, if print image data representing the print image is communicated in units of line data items each representing one line of the print image data, and K line data items corresponding to K lines are sequentially transmitted, the N copies of the print image cannot be printed until all the K line data items have been received. Such adverse effects of the communication speed on the printing speed are particularly marked when print image data to be communicated or transmitted is large-sized (large in volume) that is, when the amount of information (information for designating gradation values or the like) with respect to one dot is large as in the case of color images being transferred or when the size (number of dots) of a print image is large, for instance.